In November, the Guangdong province temporarily suspended one-day weekend trips to Hong Kong to reduce the number of tourists entering from mainland China. The ban only lasted for two days, but it seemed to spark a major dip in passengers.
At more than 34 miles long, the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is part of a master plan to create a global science and technology hub by connecting two Chinese territories, Hong Kong and Macau (the world's largest gambling center), to nine nearby cities.
With an economic output of$1.5 trillion, thenew mega-region known as the Greater Bay Area is positioned to rival Silicon Valley. The plan also includes the construction of an $11 billion bullet train , which opened in September.
The bridge is not open to public transit, so only certain vehicles shuttles, freight cars, and private cars with permits are allowed to cross. Pedestrians and bicyclists are prohibited.
Take a look at its remarkable design below.
The $20 billion structure is 20 times as long as the Golden Gate Bridge.
The title of worlds largest sea bridge previously belonged to the Jiaozhou Bay Bridge, which stretches 26.3 miles.
The Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge is designed to last for more than a century, with the capacity to withstand major storms and earthquakes.
The structure should hold up in the face of 211 mph winds . That claim was put to the test in September, when Typhoon Mangkhut swept through Hong Kong, destroying roofs, shattering windows, and toppling trees.
The bridge is made of 420,000 tons of steel enough to build 60 Eiffel Towers.
The bridges towers were inspired by three elements: Chinese knots, the Chinese white dolphin, and the mast of a boat.
The bridges curves are designed to resemble a snake.
A 4-mile underwater tunnel connects two artificial islands, which help support the structure.
The tunnel was built below the water to prevent the disruption of shipping lanes. The Greater Bay Area is one of the busiest shipping areas in the world, with about 4,000 vessels passing through each day.
Construction kicked off in 2009 and was set to finish in 2016 but was delayed because of budget and safety concerns.
Nine workers have died and more than 200 have been injured over the course of construction.
Some have questioned the bridges stability after photos appeared to show its wave-absorbing concrete blocks drifting off into the water.
Environmentalists fear that construction has threatened the livelihood of the Chinese white dolphin.
The area where the Pearl River meets the South China Sea was once a sanctuary for the species, whose population has declined since construction began.
Officials expect the bridge to cut commute times in half.
Shuttle buses run every 10 minutes.
The bridge includes a designated merge point, where cars can switch to the appropriate side of the road.
To cross the bridge, pedestrians and drivers without a permit must purchase a shuttle ticket, costing $8 to $10.
When the bridge first opened, its port in Hong Kong welcomed around 100,000 daily passengers at peak periods.
A month later, the Guangdong province issued a 48-hour ban on one-day weekend trips to Hong Kong to reduce traffic.
Tourism authorities issued an urgent notice to travel agencies, asking them to refrain from transporting visitors across the bridge.
Officials also received reports that unlicensed tour guides were operating illegally, but claim to have addressed the problem.
Officials also imposed restrictions on the bridges shuttle services.
Mainland passengers traveling from the southern city of Zhuhai to Hong Kong now have to pre-order their tickets or face steeper prices at the terminal. Each person is no longer allowed to purchase more than ten tickets.
By December, the number of daily passengers at peak hours at Hong Kongs port had fallen to between 60,000 and 70,000.
"The government didn't get the community ready by providing sufficient facilities before it opened the bridge in haste," he said. "Hong Kong didn't expect so many tourists and didn't think about how to guide them to other parts of the city."
